The towering striker moved to Asia from relegated German Bundesliga side Karlsruher SC earlier this month in a bid to lineup regular first team football ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

How are you settling in so far at Nagoya Grampus Eight?
So far so good. The team has made it really easy for me to settle in. To be honest I already feel very comfortable being here and looking forward to my first match.

Are you feeling match fit?
Yes, I feel very match fit. I only had around 10 days off after the Australia vs Japan so I haven't lost any fitness. Also since being here I have played in two practice games and 90mins last Sunday.

How do you see things going this season? Going by recent results, which have not been that great, if you can come together more as a team, Nagoya Grampus Eight are currently 10th in the league table, would a top five finish would be realistic possibility this season?
Obviously it's hard to say where we are going to finish this season, but I think in the team we have the quality for a top four or five finish. I think we just need to get our confidence back with a couple of wins and that will put us on the right track.

When you left Karlsruher SC you obviously must have looked at other playing options, were there other interesting offers to stay playing for clubs in the Bundesliga,  or at any other clubs in Europe?
There were other options in Germany and Europe, but I had been in Germany for the past nine years and really felt like I needed a change and a new challenge to freshen things up and have a really good 12 months before the World Cup.

Why Nagoya Grampus Eight?
The first thing was that I knew Nagoya was a team with ambition and obviously one of the clubs that belongs in the top four in Japan. And like I said it's a new challenge and new experience for me which I think I needed after nine years in Germany.

It's great get to the world cup finals. Are you looking forward to playing South Africa next summer?
Of course I'm looking forward to South Africa......who bloody wouldn't be! After experiencing the last world cup and knowing what a special event that it is.....but there is still plenty of work to do before hand and concentrating in the meantime of Nagoya and staying fit and healthy.

It must be tough travelling and being apart from your partner and family for periods of time, how do you cope?
That's probably only one of the bad things sometimes about being a footballer. Big phone bills, lots of emails and skype make things easier. My wife is also an athlete so she knows and understands the situation which makes things easier too.

This is not a career that can last forever. Have you thought about what you are going to do after it?
I think firstly I am going to have a long holiday with the family and do not to much. But I think football is in my blood and would love to get into coaching, development or maybe even managing after my career. I can't see myself staying away from the game for too long.